A scientific exploration of the possible patterns created by the gestural and physical manipulation and activation of dual stiff linear props, with emphasis (added) in this report as to the connectional patterns.

Uber Europe! This is a video of a super diverse range of staff, from hard hard throws, dual fishtails, doubles contact, fei-cha and uber single staff contact and spinning. As well as a little bit of sillyness and negative space. I'll write a little more later... when i have screenshots...

Posted:21st Aug 2006Gotta say, this is the singularly best set of videos I've ever made. For the sheer quality of the spinning in them. I'm actually a little bit proud of these ones. Thanks to everyone who's in them!

L.A.B. 03 - IN LEEDS

Me n'Strugz went to leeds and met Chronos, and had a whale of a good hardcore contact time.

One of the most enjoyable videos I've made. Hope you enjoy! I did...

LAB 03: IN LEEDS (large) ~100mb

LAB 03: IN LEEDS (small) ~25mb

L.A.B. APPENDIX 3A - MC-PO-SEPH

me and mostly dave spinning in our lunchtimes. Dave has a unique style amougst unque styles, which he doesn't show much in this video, instead just concentrates on new and hardcore doubles.

MC-PO-SEPH - 43mb

L.A.B. 04 - UBER UNWRAPPED

Uber Europe! This is a video of a super diverse range of staff, from hard hard throws, dual fishtails, doubles contact, fei-cha and uber single staff contact and spinning. As well as a little bit of sillyness and negative space. I'll write a little more later... when i have screenshots... (and none of me in it! RESULT!)

L.A.B. 04 - UBER UNWRAPPED (large) ~100mb

L.A.B. 04 - UBER UNWRAPPED (small) ~40mb

"the now legendary" - Kaskade"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.

etheogen: Does nothing badly. Taught me a wee bit o fei-cha and was generally cool, expecially seeing another girl doing contact exceedingly well. The bit at the end in the video, I shouted at her: "Pretend you're a baton twirler!" and that's what she came up with....

Posted:22nd Aug 2006Ya Meg so great you filmed Etheogen.. she's a lovely lovely spinner...and you mentioned baton twirlers..saw some vids recently of young baton twirling troupes and it occurred to me that most of what 'us lot' do with staffs is about as graceful/skilly as rolling in the mud compared to what those girls have been up to for years. Sigh.

This is going to be a very unpopular comment, but I am generally underwhelmed with the style of contact I have seen in Europe. (as compared to the amazing poi/juggling)

Lotsa Tricks but so often stiff, static, and very just upper body. Some very smooth single staff play to be sure (with the occasional step!!) Loved the 'from above' sections in LAB3...

But when I get home I am going to light a match under a few bums and try get some vids made of people whose 'contact staff' style is a meeting of multiple staff skills (eg Kyle's triple magic) and contact dance...sort of like the lovely Meast is heading for, but with more than one person...and flow...and whole bodies...

Meanwhile you have put together some great footage of the various styles around at the moment so well done...

Posted:22nd Aug 2006Screw baton twirlers. The only one I've heard of who got into fire spinning never really got into it, cos they didn't enjoy spinning anymore. I guess years of training will do that to you. I don't want to be a baton twirler. All the rules, ugly movements and routines completely devoid of artistic integrity. Yes there is some amazing gymanstics and throws and contact and such like, but if removed your love of spinning, what's the point?

Plus: I like to do whatever I like with a staff. For me it's object manipulation, not just spinning. Screw rules.

Otherwise: yeah, a hella lot of upper body spinning going on. I would also second any video of kyle one two or three sticks. FILM KYLE! FILM HIM!!!!!!! (Get Ben-ja-men to pose in the background.)

I still want to find out what staff is before I start mixing it with other styles. I think staff wants to have it's own style, and I'm going to find that. (well apart from the odd bit of japanese dance... )

to gabe... send me a DVD! musak!

"the now legendary" - Kaskade"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.

Definately don't want to go down the baton twirler route, but I do feel that I'm amassing a body of technique that wants to go somewhere...

Does anyone else feel that staff is approaching one of those critical mass situations of technique? Over the next year I'm fully expecting an explosion as people take it in all sorts of unexpected directions. I'm trying to push my own limits and I can see others doing the same.

Can't wait to see what happens.

*no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no*

Posted:23rd Aug 2006chrono i totaly agree. I have been spinning for a few years now and im getting borred with doing 'just moves'.

I've been trying to push the breakdance side for the last couple of months cos i think that is the next step forward but i think there will also be a huge explosion from capowera (spelling?)and wu su style martial arts.

Basically i think the next level of staff has to be manipulating your body as much as the staff to amalgamate something very cool.

This is something that needs to be worked on when we come to Leeds. ooooh the anticipation.

saw some vids recently of young baton twirling troupes and it occurred to me that most of what 'us lot' do with staffs is about as graceful/skilly as rolling in the mud compared to what those girls have been up to for years. Sigh.

This is going to be a very unpopular comment, but I am generally underwhelmed with the style of contact I have seen in Europe. (as compared to the amazing poi/juggling) Lotsa Tricks but so often stiff, static, and very just upper body. Some very smooth single staff play to be sure (with the occasional step!!) Loved the 'from above' sections in LAB3...

interesting to heard this, I've often watch batonist and thought there movement although clean was abit dead and not particularly insparing. I reckon it all depends on the spinner and how long they been at it. Contact staff is in it's infinncy in europe and you've got the lean the move before you can dance with the move.

Anyhow definately film Kyle i've got about 10sec of footage of his triple staff contact from when I meet him at the EJC in Paris which is awsome but I need more

MCP: wicked vids watched all three yesterday in quick sucession and didn't even get bored (something which is unfortunatly rare these days for single vids and pretty much unheard of for three longish ones)

Maybe I should change this too something abit nicer, humm no I still think your all Ct

Posted:23rd Aug 2006screw all of that stuff. I need to clean up my spinning. I'm going to back to standing still and spinning for a while. Feet planted like roots into the ground style. That and working on exact footwork while turning, and spotting. While knowing what the hell my other arm is doing and keeping my posture straighter than jane eyre.

Posted:23rd Aug 2006I get obsessed with finding the absolute minimum amount of movement required for a move, it's not quite the opposite of dance but it is a search for my own "pure" staff style.

But if I want to learn a cartwheel matrix, or even just to dance while staffing I have to practice that. It doesn't just happen by itself.

Watching the Leeds video has helped me loads. What strikes me is that if my practice consists of just standing there and repeating the same move over and over, that's what comes out when I spin. So if I want more variety and movement I need to deliberately practice long combinations and dancing.

It's not that I'm going to stop drilling "static" moves, it works for one thing. But I am trying to be more aware of my practice so that I can get more out of it.

The answers going to be different for everyone, depends where you want to take it...

*no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no*

Posted:23rd Aug 2006@Dave- I used to do most of my practice in a space six foot square. It helps loads with refining your control if you can't move your feet.

In general though I've found abandoned buildings endlessly usefull. If you look round you can usually find a large indoor space and secure it with your own locks to keep out "undesirables". Tadaah! your very own practice space.

Can require a bit of research if you want a long term space, how long it's been abandoned, security, that sort of thing. I've got my eye on an old sports hall at the mo. Sprung floors!

*no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no moves there are no*

Posted:23rd Aug 2006Dancing a la prancing is not what I am talking about (my bad for mentioned anything to do with polyster tiny stick highspeed batons in a staff thread ... twas just a wandering thought.. the next one was 'what happens to all those girls later'!!)

The mix that has so intrigued me brings together the skill and discipline of:

Gabe i love you anyway, you rock lots, but if you can do the above........ well, youd more than rock and id more than love you!! ............ so i guess that would kind of make you a euphoric mountain to me or something........

anyways.........

"...We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing......."

i reckon "i appreciate and aspire to total control of body dynamics, combined with clean object manipulation techniques" covers most viewpoints (even when standing still you should look good doing it), so i'm sticking to that from now on.

cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.they do porridge."- tim westwood